Dining Out While Losing Weight

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• Weight Loss That Fits Your Lifestyle
• Mindful Eating for Weight Loss
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Full Episode Transcript:

Dining Out While Losing Weight

Hi there, welcome to the podcast. I have a good one for you today. I’m excited. Although, I did realize very recently, that I get excited to record every podcast episode for you. Now, I’ll admit, I like certain episode topics more than others, and feel better about how I presented some topics more than others, but before recording every episode, I do feel a bit of excitement. I really feel that I’m actually talking to you in the moment. Like you’re here, sitting in my office in front of me. So fun.

So today I want to talk to you about dining out while losing weight. Because yes, you can go out to eat dinner or breakfast or lunch and still lose weight in the process. But, you have to be a little smart about it and know a few things beforehand, so that you can enjoy yourself, without feeling like you’ve overeaten. And you not only want to just be able to enjoy yourself in the moment, but afterwards you don’t want to feel that guilt or disappointment in yourself, right?

First, before I dive completely in, I want to just tell you a quick way for you to start changing your eating habits and losing some weight in a steady, maintainable way, and that is by getting Sunday morning tips from me every week.

They’re more than just tips, they’re often times insights into mindset, especially when things aren’t going well or aren’t going as planned. There are also tips to help get you through the week feeling a little bit more in control of your eating habits. I’ve had several people tell me that they’ve lost weight and improved their eating habits just with these weekly emails. They are short enough to read within the first few sips of your coffee, tea or water in the morning.

To start receiving the tips and insights every Sunday morning, just go to my website and you’ll see the menu option for weekly tips and I’m also linking it in the episode description right on the podcast listening app that you’re listening from. Also, if you’re listening to this episode on the episode page on my website, just scroll down and you’ll see the link for the weekly tips as well. So basically, there’re links all over the place for you make it easy.

Alright I’m going to break down dining out while losing weight into planned dining out and unplanned or spontaneous dining out. Some of these tips that I’m going to give you will apply to both. I’m going to start with unplanned dining out. Meaning, when it’s more spontaneous.

Examples of this might be when friends ask you out to dinner or happy hour last minute. Another example would be when you’ve had a busy day and you tell your spouse and children, let’s just go out to eat.

For unplanned dining out while losing weight, try to be the person that chooses where you’re going to dinner or where you’re ordering out from. If you’re ordering out, don’t be afraid to order out from two different places. For example, if your kids and spouse want pizza and you prefer sushi and feel that the sushi is more in line with your eating habit and weight loss goals, then if it’s convenient enough, order from both places.

Or look at restaurants that have healthy options. Otherwise, if you’re leaving the choice to someone else, you have no idea what they’ll choose. They may choose someplace that has no good options for you.

You’re also going to want to keep in mind that when dining out, you can have a little bit more control over what’s in the dish if you ask them to decrease, increase, or eliminate certain ingredients. Don’t be afraid to ask if you can modify something on the menu.

These days, with so many dietary restrictions and allergies, kitchens are used to modifying many of their dishes to accommodate people. And really, most people refrain from asking for a dish to be modified, because they fear what the people you’re with, wait staff or the kitchen staff might think of them.

So, if that’s you, what are they really going to think of you? I mean honestly. They’re going to think that you either have an allergy, a strong dislike to a certain ingredient, or that you’re watching what you’re eating. And maybe they’ll think that you’re picky, but who cares? Does that really harm you?

What matters more to you, enjoying your meal and still feeling like you made a good choice, or worrying about what someone might think? When more than likely, they’re not thinking something as negative as you’re thinking that they’re thinking.

This also applies to planned dining out of course.

Okay, next up for unplanned dining out while losing weight is to make sure you’re hungry before you eat anything. If you’re not hungry, but you’re going out with a group, then maybe just order something to go for later on when you may be hungry. Or sip a beverage, even if it’s just a glass of water with lemon in it.

Now just a little warning, you may start to feel hungry when you see the delicious looking food and smell the food when it’s brought out to the people you’re dining out with, and if you feel like the hunger kind of comes on quickly, it’s most likely just a desire, rather than true hunger. But, if you’re feeling hungry when you get to the restaurant, or the hunger starts occurring very gradually instead of suddenly, then order something on the menu.

When you’re losing weight, especially when you’re doing it by healthier eating habits, it’s key to learn to eat when you’re hungry and stopping right before you’re full or when you’re just the slightest bit full. This is something that you may have to learn. And just because you’re out to eat with other people, doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re hungry, or that your body actually needs food yet.

So don’t be afraid to put it off and just order something to go if you feel like you might be hungry later and you don’t want to miss out on whatever’s on the menu. What works for some people is also just having a bite of someone else’s food, but just be aware that they may not appreciate that, so always check off beforehand and just remember that if you end up having a few bites of everyone’s food, that could end up being an entire meal.

Alright, this leads me into the next one, which is to not eat to the point of being overly full or uncomfortable period you want to eat to the point of just barely being full, or just before this point. You want to basically eat so that you’re no longer hungry, but not necessarily feel like your stomach is full.

A good way to ensure that you’re doing this is to check in with yourself at least once during the meal. Maybe halfway in or if it’s a large portion, maybe a quarter of a way in. Check in with your stomach. See if your stomach is no longer hungry. If you are still hungry, then eat a few more bites. If you’re no longer hungry, then put the fork down.

You can even ask the wait staff for a to go box so that you can immediately put the rest of the food in there and be less likely to continue eating when you don’t really feel hungry anymore. And of course, this tip also applies to planned dining out while losing weight.

Another big tip for planned dining out is to look at the menu ahead of time and decide in advance what you’re going to eat at the restaurant. Then, be sure to stick with that plan. Even if you’re tempted by something else when you get there. Remember, you chose that thing for a reason. Or maybe even several.

Now you need to show your brain that you follow through on your intentions, no matter what period getting into the practice of following through on your intentions, no matter what helps give you the confidence and it helps show your brain that you’re someone who follows through.

You’re not someone who wants to do something and then doesn’t do it. You’re not someone who is easily deterred. Even if you were before. You’re no longer this person and you need to prove to your brain that that’s the case. So, start now.

When you’re deciding ahead of time and even writing this down, which I recommend, because writing things down actually makes it more likely you’ll follow through, you’re using a portion of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. This is the reasoning part of the brain. It’s very future focused and is more of the better decision maker part of the brain than the more primitive part of the brain.

The more primitive part of the brain is also known to many people as the “toddler brain.” This is the more impulsive part of the brain (just like a toddler) that goes more for that instant gratification. You can also think of a kid in a candy shop.

The more primitive part of the brain is not future focused. It’s short-term pleasure focused. So, by deciding ahead of time, you are using the more adult part of your brain, the more future focused part of your brain.

And when you get in the habit of using this part of your brain over the more primitive part of the brain, it’ll get much easier for you to be in the habit of making healthier decisions for yourself and your future. Because right now, you may be in the habit of using that more primitive part of the brain, where you’re acting on impulse.

When I work with my clients one-on-one, each week we plan for the coming week so that there is a set plan in place. I’m not telling you what to eat, like your typical diets, but instead we plan out all the potential challenges, and come up with solutions, we also plan out the new things that will be added in that will become new habits.

Most of the time, these things are decided by you, the client, meaning I never want you to give up foods that you want to continue eating. But there may be some foods that you say, “hey I’d love to be able to continue eating ice cream, but I’d feel really good if I didn’t have any more than one small bowl a week.”

We also plan out how to make it easier to follow through on the intentions. And lots of times, planning ahead, even means talking about how you will think or feel about something if it doesn’t go as planned. So that way you don’t end up spiraling downhill.

If you’re looking for, or suspect you might need personalized help with this, an easy way is to sign up for a free consultation with me. We can meet over Zoom, facetime, or phone. It’s for a full hour, so we can really dive into your specific challenges and then I can give you the solutions that I would recommend to get you to where you want to be.

If you’re then interested in working together to get these results, you can learn more about that as well. So, you can book a free consult with the link right on the episode page if you’re listening to this episode from my website, or by visiting katemjohnston.com/consult.

I’ll put the link for this in the episode description on the podcast listening app in case you’re listening through iTunes, Spotify, etcetera. So, when you click on the episode in the podcast app, you’ll see an episode description, and at the top, you’ll see a link for the weekly tips, and then towards the bottom, you’ll see the link for the consult.

Okay, so planning ahead is definitely a habit that you’ll want to create. Again, I help you become a true master of this when we work together with 1:1 coaching. Which helps in all areas of your life.

Next up is being smart about your beverages. You probably realize, but maybe not, so I’m going to point it out now, that whenever you go out to eat, the number of calories in the meal is usually way more substantial than the amount of calories in a meal if you would cooked at home. Then you add the drinks on top of that. Especially alcoholic beverages.

So, keep all of that in mind when you’re making your decisions when going out to eat. You can have all of the things. You can have the appetizer, the full meal, the dessert, the couple of cocktails, but just be aware that that’s probably going to total around 3000 to 4000 calories.

Yes, you heard me correctly. And that’s all fine, but it might take you a little bit longer to lose weight, especially if this is a weekly thing or even multiple times a week. So you get to decide what is a good balance for you, what is worth it and what’s not, and what you’re actually going to follow through with.

So, if you’re more about enjoying the food, then you may want to stick with water or sparkling water for your beverage. Even if other people are getting alcoholic beverages. Also, keep in mind that alcohol will tend to lead to decisions that are a little bit more impulsive.

So, if you went into the dinner planning that you would not have dessert, that second or third cocktail or glass of wine may lead you to having the dessert. And then feeling badly afterward, or the next day. Probably also feeling hungover. What you can do is to feel like you’re partaking in the festivities, and everyone else is getting an alcoholic beverage, you could ask for sparkling water in a cocktail glass or a wine glass, with some lemon or lime.

This can make it feel a little bit more special than just a glass of tap water. You could also ask if someone wants to split a cocktail, beer, or glass of wine with you. The same thing is true for dessert or even for a meal. And you may feel like you’re being deprived because it’s only half the amount for either the beverage or the meal.

However, when you take small bites or small sips and enjoy each one more fully, you will not feel deprived. You’ll feel like you have really taken the time to be more mindful about what you’re eating and drinking, not just as far as volume, but as far as taste and texture and taking the time to enjoy all of this.

Most, actually probably 100% of my clients have said that they are eating half or even 1/4 or 1/3 of what they would have eaten when they’re dining out and still enjoying it just as much. They’re eating more slowly and more intentionally and feeling satisfied. Whereas before, they wouldn’t really be paying as much attention and would end up overeating and feeling badly physically and mentally.

Alright, so this last tip is for both unplanned and planned dining out while losing weight, and that is to besides just enjoying the food in front of you, enjoy the company. Enjoy the conversation. Really try to focus on the person or the people you’re with and what they’re saying to you. Ask them questions and pay close attention to their responses. Really truly listen.

This makes the meal so much more enjoyable. You connect with the other person or the other people more when you do this. Going out to eat now becomes way more than just eating and having a good time. It means more connecting with the people you’re with. Deeper and more fulfilling conversations.

Because that’s where true pleasure comes from, right? Connection with other people. Not from the food. Of course, the food provides some pleasure for your taste buds, but connection with other people provides such a deeper pleasure.

That’s what I have for you on dining out while losing weight. Let’s connect and get you more help with a free consult. Again, you can do that by signing up at katemjohnston.com/consult or with the link in the episode description or on the episode page.

Also, if you’re not already receiving the weekly tips, then start now. Like I said, these tips alone, delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning, will help you change your eating habits and start losing weight in a healthier, longer-lasting way. You have to read them though and apply them. You can’t just sign up and not ever look at them. Okay, thanks for listening. Take care and I’ll talk with you next week.